3 nights in Vegas in mid November, head exploding b/c of decisions....

I know I want to go to Okada, the sushi place at the Wynn (where we are staying, incidentally). I am hoping it won't be ridiculously expensive, because we really can only afford one expensive meal ($150 p. person incl. wine, if that is at all possible). Okada may well be a lunch thing, tho.

I was pretty convinced to check out Bouchon, but now I am wondering if I'll really be 'wowed' to the max, or if L'Atelier wouldn't be the wiser choice.... but looking at the prices, I am not sure that's a possibility.

I guess I am looking for the most bang for the buck, within our budget limits. Hey, we'd like to play some cards, too '-)

One night will be more low-key, and I've heard such great things about Lotus -- it's been a while since I've had good Thai. Would love some good Middle Eastern, Greek, or Mediterranean. No tapas, tho.

Skip Bouchon. For me it was a bid disapointment.Lotus of Siam for sure. There is also a place called Raku, off the strip , that is excellent. It is Japanese...I would not pass on it if I were you.Daniel Boulud at the Wynn is great. Nove at the Palms is very good too.

Thanks!! I was pretty ready to let go of Bouchon. So you'd take Boulud over L'Atelier? I'll have to take a look at his menu again.... the DB burger is not the most appealing looking thing, I have to say.

Looking at vegasmusings.com, I came upon Raku, too. It sounds GREAT! Maybe one sushi, one 'other' Japanese place is the way to go. Ah, to have more than three nights....

In terms of setting your plans I believe that Okada is dinner-only, and it will not be an easy price point - if you were considering Okada "as" a splurge, instead of Okada "and" a splurge, it might work. It is hard to pass up a chance at Raku or Lotus, which not only bring great food experiences, but also more than fair prices (unless you insist on sitting for hours and going through half of the Raku menu, which we are trying to keep from becoming a habit).

Daniel Boulud and Bouchon are entirely different focus points from L'Atelier, and bring much different experiences, both being more of casual bistro fare (though in beautiful settings). Past meals at Boulud have been good, but as he has opened new places in New York and Vancouver the past two years, and is working on a new property in Singapore, the Las Vegas outpost might not be getting the same kind of attention these days, especially since it will close next spring. Just some food for thought, literally, although I have yet to hear a negative review from anyone that has been there recently. L'Atelier is designed to 'wow', and does, but albeit at a hefty tab. $150 per person, including wine, does not go very far in that room.

I would absolutely suggest a reservation at Raku. While it is not a "sushi" place, you will find a lot of sashimi style offerings, both from their regular menu and the nightly specials board. In recent visits we have been able to try a variety of raw fish, as well as squid and a Japanese conch, served that way.

'Wow' factors are always difficult, because what wows some can bore others. But under the Wynn roof where you are staying you do have Alex, which on some nights can rival anything that Las Vegas has to offer. They are still offering a "Taste of Wynn" special menu ($89 per person), as are the other restaurants in the Wynn/Encore enclave, and that may be worth a look.

OK, Raku it is. It just sounds great. I'll look at Alex again -- I had heard/read about the Taste of Wynn deal, but I thought I remembered someone not being blown away by Alex. You're right, of course: being wowed it certainly a very subjective thing. I'd say I can be equally wowed by something crazy-creative like WD-50 (which price-wise is totally out of our league, but we had to do it once anyway '-)) or just very well executed dishes with high-quality ingredients. Sigh.

I'll keep looking around, and will turn to you again if I despair. Thanks so much for now! Hope I can return the favor if you ever visit Berlin!

So, you wouldn't be able to get the full Bar Charlie experience (since the 14 course tasting runs $250, not including wine), but the 5 course menu is $100, so that might be a good option for your "splurge" meal.

My wife and I did the $75 menu at L'Atelier back in July. We each supplemented it with another course. Definitely didn't need the extra course but I wanted to try the burger. I can't remember what my wife had. I think the bill ended up around $300 for food and wine before tip.